Donated piano brings excitement to Bellaire Elementary

Bellaire Elementary is now home to a 1925 Wurlitzer Baby Grand Piano thanks to the generosity of donor Melissa “Missy” Grantham.

Grantham’s grandmother received the piano as a wedding gift from her husband in 1927.

“My mother grew up playing that piano and attended Juilliard for piano and voice,” Grantham said. “When my grandparents moved to assisted living about 18 years ago, I kept the piano.”

Her mother recently passed away and she ended up keeping her mother’s piano as well.

“I figured I don’t need two pianos and my grandmother loved kids, so I really wanted the piano go to a place that would appreciate it, preferably an elementary school,” Grantham said.

And appreciate it they have.

When Bellaire Music teacher James Taylor walked in to his classroom after spring break, he was ecstatic to see the baby grand piano.

“You can’t not be happy when you see it,” Taylor exclaimed.

His students were just as excited to see the piano and it has completely changed the dynamic of the classroom.

“For the first week I showed them how it works, they learned that it’s a percussion and a string instrument and their eyes light up when they’re watching me play,” Taylor said. “They get to see the string go up and down and they feel the vibrations and it’s just amazing.”

Several fourth and fifth grade students are getting the chance to play it as well, but first they have to learn how to play on the electric keyboard.

“We always celebrate and clap and encourage them,” Taylor said. “It’s a big deal, they get so excited.”

He added that it’s also been amazing for the choir. Before, they had to connect the keyboard to speakers and it was hard to find a balance.

“The piano has been a blessing and we are very, very fortunate,” Taylor said. “We could not be more thrilled to have a beautiful piano like this.”